With northeast temperatures in the upper 90s this week, we doubt you’re thinking about winter. Like it or not, late July and early August is actually a popular time for snow and ice control contractors to start preparing for the winter season. Right now is a great time to start buying the supplies and equipment to ensure you are well prepared for winter weather. Many of our customers own trucks and truck body parts are one of our most popular products. Because of this, our article this week will focus on how to pick out a good plow truck.

The first step in finding a good plow truck is to measure out the length and weight of your plow. If the truck you choose is too small, you may have a hard time controlling and maneuvering the plow. A good rule of thumb is to never buy a truck under the ¾ ton class for plowing. The truck should have and adjustable front suspension so that you can raise the nose when the plow is mounted.

The truck must also have a good quality alternator to accommodate the extra power being used by the hydraulic system. The transmission of the truck will have to be decent. The back and forth motion of plowing can be very stressful on a transmission. If you are planning on purchasing an older truck, a manual transmission is usually better. If you’re buying a more modern truck, the newer automatic transmissions are usually convenient and tough enough.

It is usually better to purchase a new truck for plowing as opposed to a used one. Like used cars, you can’t be sure what the truck has seen in the past. Used plow trucks see a lot usage and damage when they are used. Sand and salt can eat away at a truck’s undercarriage and if the former owner did not maintain the truck, you’re in for some expensive trouble. The transmission of the truck could be weakened as well from plowing. If you’re just starting out in snow and ice control, you don’t want to sink money into an expensive repair job for a truck you just purchased.

Here are 5 popular trucks people purchase for plowing.